The long-awaited Oasis reunion tour would represent a big boost to not only Liam and Noel Gallagher’s respective bank balances but the UK economy as a whole, according to experts.
Confirmation on Tuesday that the warring brothers had put aside their differences to plan 14 dates – with two of those in Dublin – prompted a frenzy of interest in the British Isles and also overseas.
An investment analyst at AJ Bell said the 2025 stadium shows had the “potential” to bring as much as the £1bn cash injection a report by Barclays said the economy had enjoyed from Taylor Swift’s recent UK dates.
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Dan Coatsworth wrote: “The Eras Tour superstar played many of the same venues as those booked for the Oasis tour and the number of concerts could also be similar if the band add extra dates to meet the expected high demand.
“Taylor Swift fans from across the globe descended on the country this summer, doling out cash on accommodation, travel, new outfits, food and drink, tickets and merchandise.
“Oasis should easily command the same fervour from the public, and spending on Cigarettes and Alcohol could be mind-blowing.
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“The big question is whether the financial boom from Oasis’ reunion is going to Live Forever. This looks like a big cash grab on behalf of the Gallagher brothers, but decades of hatred between the two individuals suggests the reunion might not have legs. Fans and the UK economy should enjoy it while it lasts,” he concluded.
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The tour is due to begin in Cardiff, at the Principality Stadium, on 4 July with Manchester’s Heaton Park and Wembley Stadium in London getting four dates each.
Murrayfield in Edinburgh and Dublin’s Croke Park are the other two venues.
Joss Croft, chief executive of tourism trade body UKinbound, said major music events are “not only beneficial for the UK music industry, but a super boost for our inbound tourism, drawing visitors from around the world to experience the best of what the UK has to offer”.
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A Welsh Government spokeswoman said of the announcement: “It’s great news that Oasis will be kick-starting their comeback in Cardiff.
“They’ll be joining a long list of world-renowned artists who have chosen to play in our capital in recent years, along the likes of Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Coldplay, Beyonce and many others.
“With the Principality Stadium’s reputation for hosting world-class events, the concert are set to attract thousands of visitors, which will provide a substantial economic boost to our hospitality, retail and transport businesses, bringing in millions and helping transform the local economy.”
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Sacha Lord, night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, estimated the band’s run in the city would benefit the city’s economy by more than £15m, according to the PA news agency.
Thomas Pugh, economist at RSM UK, said the tour will “undoubtedly be a phenomenal sellout”.
But he raised the prospect that fans face paying through the nose for accommodation – on top of the tickets.
“Taylor Swift and the Foo Fighters saw hotel prices in Cardiff, which will also host an Oasis gig, rise by up to 500%,” he warned.
The rise was noted in official inflation figures at the time.
Sky News found earlier today that hotel prices for Oasis’s first night at Wembley are already as much as three times as expensive as the week before.
Ticket prices are yet to be announced but with only 14 dates they could prove pricey, especially on resale sites.
Some were even being offered as prizes ahead of going on general sale at the weekend.
Sky News has seen at least one company, The Giveaway Guys, offering a pair in a raffle thanks to a “trade partner” in Manchester.
Its website showed the two tickets for an Edinburgh show had already sold out.
